blueBanksia

by Graham Hay

An international clay revolution has been building for the last 20 years. Currently over a third of all clay used in Australian studios and classrooms is paperclay. (1). While paperclay use started in Australia and the USA about the same time, the current USA use is well below this percentage. However USA volumes have consistantly been doubling annually, for the last decade (2). While there have been differences between counties, what is consistent is a steady increase in paperclay use, and its spread across all ceramic techniques and all types of clays(3).

by Robert Playoll

Pottery clay is the clay used to make the three categories of pottery: earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. Clay is baked in a kiln under intense heat, a process known as firing, and becomes solid. Firing is used both to harden the clay and to adhere glaze to it or color it. In this article, I will give a brief introduction as to the different types of clay available for pottery.